A rail-trail connects Blacksburg with Christiansburg, while a loop trail in Coal Mining Heritage Park offers a different scale. There are also cultural sites featuring African American, local, and mining history, as well as a year-round producers’ market. For planning your trip, Blacksburg offers several distinct themes: trails and landscapes, historic sites, and regional products.
Trails with different layouts
The Huckleberry Trail is a 15-mile rail-trail connecting Blacksburg and Christiansburg. Its original starting point is in downtown Blacksburg on Draper Road. The route passes through a mix of rural and hilly landscapes, as well as forests and farmland. It thus connects two towns along a route with varied scenery.
The Coal Mining Heritage Park and Loop Trail offers a different kind of route: a 1.5-mile loop. The comparison makes the differences clear: the Huckleberry Trail connects two towns, while the Coal Mining trail is a loop. The Blacksburg Rotary Mountain Skills Bike Park also has trails for walking and cycling. Blacksburg therefore offers several named options for different interests in trails and outdoor activities.
At Coal Mining Heritage Park, an ADA-accessible path leads to the old mine entrance and parts of the old foundation. Its destination connects the trail to a tangible reminder of mining history. Those interested in this historical focus can take in the landscape and local history together.
Cultural sites and historical context
St. Luke and Odd Fellows Hall is a museum of African American culture. It was added to the Virginia Landmarks Register on June 1, 2005, and to the National Register of Historic Places on July 27, 2005. The two listings took place in the same year, but on different dates. The Hall’s museum focus and this chronology are distinct, complementary aspects of its historical context.
Alexander Black House is a cultural center that celebrates Blacksburg’s heritage and features art and history exhibitions. It offers a different emphasis from the Hall, focusing on local heritage and exhibitions. Built in 1774, Smithfield Plantation adds a specific historical date to the cultural sites mentioned above.
The history of coal mining extends beyond the local landscape. Coal from the Merrimac Mine was used in 1862 to power the ironclad warship Merrimac, which fought the Monitor in a Civil War naval battle. This connection leads from the mine to a specific chapter of Civil War history. Together with the old mine entrance and parts of the foundation, it gives the mining theme several historical points of reference.
Regional products at the farmers market
The Blacksburg Farmers Market is a year-round producers’ market with vendors from within a 50-mile radius. Offerings include seasonal fruit and vegetables, meat from humanely raised animals, baked goods, prepared foods, and cheese. Handcrafted products are also available. The selection ranges from fresh produce and prepared foods to handmade goods.
Alongside trails and cultural history, the market adds a distinct focus on regional products to your travel options. Those interested in food will find several different categories of offerings here; those primarily interested in culture or mining history can focus on the museums and historical connections mentioned above. You can weigh these themes according to your interests without combining them into a single route.
Discover more destinations: Christiansburg, Radford.
See the broader travel overview: Montgomery.
